You may have heard the term "mini-stroke", also known as a transient ischemic attack, or TIA. TIA’s are caused by a temporary blockage of blood flow in the brain. When the blood flow resumes, symptoms disappear. TIA’s are a warning that you are in danger of experiencing a full-fledged stroke. Take them seriously and tell your doctor – you may need to take medicine like anti-clotting drugs or high blood pressure medication to reduce your risk.

Stroke symptoms come on suddenly, and include:

1) Changes in vision in one or both eyes

2) Difficulty speaking or understanding speech

3) Severe unexplained headache

4) Numbness or weakness, especially on one side

5) Confusion

6) Dizziness and problems with balance or walking

If you suspect someone may be having a stroke, ask them to:

1) Smile (Does one side of their mouth droop?)

2) Raise their arms above their head (Are they able to raise both arms and to keep them up evenly?)

3) Speak a simple sentence (Are they coherent? Is their speech slurred?

4) Stick their tongue out (Is it straight, or does it slant to one side?)

If you notice possible stroke symptoms, call 911 immediately. Without oxygen, brain cells quickly begin to die, causing permanent damage. The type of damage depends on what part of the brain clot or rupture was in. Common problems after a stroke include difficulty walking, trouble swallowing, vision problems, numbness in the arms or legs, and problems speaking and understanding.

More than half of people who have a stroke regain the ability to take care of themselves, but some are left permanently disabled. Anti-clotting drugs used within the first three hours of their initial stroke symptoms can curb long-term negative effects. Those who get anti-clotting medication soon enough may recover completely.

Hardening of the arteries, or atherosclerosis, is a common cause of ischemic stroke, as the condition makes it easier for blood clots to form and then lodge in the narrowed arteries, blocking the flow of blood. High blood pressure causes most hemorrhagic strokes.

High blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and being overweight all increase the risk of stroke, as do smoking, heavy alcohol intake, lack of exercise and a poor diet. Men are more likely to have a stroke then women at younger ages, but not at older ages – but women are more likely to die from stroke. African-Americans and Native Americans suffer more strokes than other races.

Up to 80% of strokes are avoidable. Taking the proper medications is vitally important for people who have had a stroke or TIA, or are at risk of one. Doctors often prescribe anti-clotting drugs, also called anti-platelet medication, to keep the blood platelets from sticking together and forming clots. They may also prescribe cholesterol-lowering medications to lower the amount of "bad" LDL cholesterol in their blood and boost "good" HDL levels. High blood pressure medications like beta-blockers, ace inhibitors (ACEs) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) are also widely prescribed.

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About the Author

Lynn Woods is an author with an interest in health and wellness who has been researching and writing about medications. She feels strongly that everyone should have access to affordable medications, and recommends Big Mountain Drugs as a reliable Canadian pharmacy online from which to buy Plavix and buy Lipitor.

Homocysteine is an amino acid that is found in the blood. High levels of homocysteine can damage the lining in the arteries and can increase the blockages in the blood vessel.

A person with a high level of homocysteine is believed to have increased risk of stroke, heart disease, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s disease and recurrent pregnancy loss.

Remedies and Tips:

1. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Leafy green vegetables are especially important in your diet. You can lower your homocysteine level by increasing the amount of folate in your diet. Great sources of folate are lettuce, asparagus, lentils and spinach. Fortified grain products, orange juice and breakfast cereals will also help lower your homocysteine level.

2. You can also lower your homocysteine level by eating foods fortified with vitamin B6 and B12. Foods rich in B6 are potatoes, garbanzo beans, salmon, bananas, breakfast cereals and chicken. Good sources of B12 are foods such as beef, organ meats such as liver, dairy products and certain types of fish.

3. Take folate, B6 and B12 supplements. Adjusting your diet may not be enough to lower your level of homocysteine, and daily doses of these three supplements should make a difference. Vitamins B6 and B12 are particularly used to break down the amino acid found in the body. Of course, it is always best to discuss the recommended dosage with your doctor.

4. Abstain from smoking cigarettes. You should also avoid drinking alcohol and coffee. Studies show that both coffee consumption and cigarette smoking are associated with increased levels of homocysteine. These studies are consistent with studies that show that caffeine and cigarette smoking increase the risk of osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease. As much as possible, don’t drink more than one cup of caffeinated coffee or tea in a day.

5. Eat less processed food, saturated fat and meat. Processed food, saturated fat and meat are known to increase the risk of heart disease, and people with high homocysteine levels are advised to eat less of these.

6. Engage in regular exercise. Obesity is a risk factor or even a possible cause for one to have a high level of homocysteine. Staying in shape with physical activity may be able to help keep one’s homocysteine level down.

7. Excessive stress is also believed to be possible cause of high levels of homocysteine in the body. A study on clinical and experimental hypertension shows that mental stress can elevate one’s heart rate, blood pressure and total homocysteine level in young men. One should engage in stress management strategies in order to help keep the homocysteine level from rising.

If you find that your homocysteine level is still high after following the steps mentioned, then you should seriously consider consulting with a doctor. A doctor may be able to prescribe the proper dosages for your supplements, as well as suggest other lifestyle and dietary changes that could lower your homocysteine level. You may also need additional tests to see if you have another health condition that causes high levels of homocysteine.

This Article is written by Lena Butler, the author of Test Country Articles a longer version of this article is located at 7 Easy Remedies & Tips to Lower Your Homocysteine Level, and resources from other home health and wellness testing articles are used such as Genetic Testing.

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Until today, Stoke is known as one of the dangerous killer disease in the world. It is usually attack people in middle or old ages. This disease comes as the effect of Hypertension that cannot be detected easily. But for stroke patients, there are some warnings that appear few minutes after they got the attack. Usually after having some hard attacks, the patient body will be worse and lead into more serious effects. Before the biggest attack, the patients got early warnings at least 7 days before.

Here are some signs that you need to watch if one of your family or friends is detected to have stroke. If suddenly the patients feel numbness in their face, arm, legs, hands, but only in one side of the body, you need to ask doctors to examine it. This is the major sign that you need to worry.

Others sign is when he or she lose the ability to speak and easy to get confuse in a conversation. Usually, stroke patients have lack performance of human senses. They do not have stable eye contact and feel dumb of their tongue. They also do not have good body balance when walking so that easily to get collapse or fall. Headaches and migraine is mostly happens during this period.

Know your family history. If your parents had a stroke your chance of having one increases because there is something genetic that can be passed down to you that may cause a stroke. A stoke can happen when the blood flow is suddenly stopped in the brain. This can cause permanent damage that cannot be reversed.

What causes a stroke to occur? There are several different factors that can have an affect on someone’s risk of having a stroke; smoking, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. These are the major causes of a stroke. If you are obese, have a family history of heart disease and stroke, and you are not active and healthy overall you may be a high risk for a stroke. Most of these conditions can be controlled and monitored through out your adult life so you can decrease your chances of having a stroke.

What can you do to decrease your chance of having a stroke? Above all, always see your doctor on a regular basis. Keep all appointment when possible and write down any questions or symptoms that you have been experiencing since your last visit. This will keep them informed of everything in case it is leading to something serious. If you experience pain or other symptoms that may be serious contact your doctor that day to rule out any conditions that may be occurring. It may be nothing to worry about but let your doctor tell you that. If you have high blood pressure you should take your medication on a regular basis as directed by your doctor. Know your body signs and that way you can tell when your blood pressure is elevated. High cholesterol is something that you don’t want to fool around with. Make sure you have a cholesterol check regularly and know your numbers. Modify your diet in order to keep your cholesterol levels down. Your doctor can help you plan a menu that works well for you or you can do some research online to find out which foods you should avoid and which foods to eat at lower servings.

Avoid stress whenever it’s possible. It’s not easy to avoid sometimes but you should do your best and not take on any additional stress that you can’t handle. Retirement should be a time to enjoy and although things change you should be alert to what stresses you out the most and avoid them all together whenever that is possible. Try to walk every day but if you can’t then find another alternative exercise that can get you up off the couch and moving around.

Know your body and decrease your chances of having a heart attack.

To learn more about this and other health related topics please visit the blog section of BestHealthHomeCare.com which specializes in all topics related to home healthcare especially in bringing together home healthcare providers with those in need of home healthcare.

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Stem cells therapy is said to be beneficial to cure stroke. A trial will be conducted by a team of doctors in Scotland and other scientists to test on this matter. The procedure involves in this trial is by injecting stem cells from certain human foetuses into stroke patients’ brains to repair the damaged areas of the brain as well as improving both physical and mental function.

The objective of the first trial is to test on the safety and feasibility of this therapy at a few different doses. This treatment will be given to 12 different patients in a period of 6 to 24 months. These patients will then be monitored for 2 years. If the outcome of this trial is successful, they will then continue to have the procedure further developed to be focused on ischaemic stroke. Ischaemic stoke is caused by blood blockage in the brain.

This type of therapy has always been objected by many groups of people. These cells are human’s master cells which has the ability to create hone, blood, heart, brain and etc. Certain groups voiced their disapproval of this particular technology because it involves fetuses and embryos as their cells are being used. However, if this treatment can produce a positive result, it will be very beneficial to the medical world.

Dennis enjoys writing and sharing articles on topics like stem cells. Visit for more details.

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There are about 4 out of 5 stroke victims who usually survived the first time of stroke attack with only a partial damage of the brain of various degrees. But take note that there is one for every 5 deaths due to cardiovascular disease. Thus, an estimate of 80% of these deaths occurs on individuals over 65 years old.

Within minutes of a stroke attack, symptoms of stroke may develop. Stroke victims usually lose their consciousness. Flushing of the face may be evident. Eventually, the patient develops convulsions and or vomiting. Oftentimes, only one half of the brain is affected. Therefore, only half of the body is also affected. One side of the eyes’ pupil appears bigger than the other side, and one side of the body’s muscles appears to be weaker. Plus, the mouth is pulled out to one side of the face. Such medical condition needs immediate medical treatment and attention.

In terms of recovery for stroke victims, the process is usually very tedious and slow. Oftentimes, it involves muscle therapy programs. Daily muscle exercises performed, helps the stroke patient regain some of the immobilized functions that were greatly affected by the condition.

Several individuals learned to walk again. Thanks to the therapy programs.

Usually, the main cause of a stroke can be traced to the lifestyle of an individual. Risk factors of certain lifestyles contributing or leading to stroke includes stress (high in nature), fatty diets (like animals fats), and poor exercise habit.

This article is written by Debra Trotter. She is an article writer for around 2 years. Not only does this author specialize in a large range of topics, you can also checkout her newest website on haier wine refrigerator, which shows and explains information about where you can order a avanti wine refrigerator.

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Type 1 diabetes is know as juvenile-onset diabetes and usually affects children and young adults and is genetically-linked. The following are some conditions that are typically found in people with type 2 diabetes, which is know as adult-onset diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

Depression: Depression doubles the risk of a person getting diabetes and after being diagnosed with diabetes a person will go through major lifestyle changes which will cause them to be more depressed. Diet changes and taking medicines are among the things that cause them to be more depressed.

Obesity: Obesity is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and strongly associated with insulin resistance. Loosing weight has been shown to improve heart-health along with diabetes.

Inactivity: Lack of exercise is another major risk factor. Along with loosing weight, exercise has helped to reduce blood pressure and the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Hypertension: High blood pressure has long been recognized as a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. If you have both high blood and diabetes your risk for heart disease doubles.

A symptom of diabetes is the skin of a diabetic person becomes very dry and flaky due to excessive loss of water, leading to dehydration which could result in a coma. Also it takes a long time for sores or cuts to heal.

Diabetes is usually accompanied by sudden weight loss. There are many things that could be or may not be a symptom of diabetes. If you think you might have diabetes, go to your doctor right away to find out and it never hurts to have your heart checked out at the same time.

Stroke Symptoms: It’s vital to recognize the symptoms of stroke and to seek help immediately. Time is of the essence when it comes to preventing debilitating and long-lasting effects. Symptoms include sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body; sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding; sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes; sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination, or a sudden, severe headache with no known cause.

It’s significant to know the risk factors, some of which are preventable and controllable, and to recognize the symptoms so that many of the serious side effects can be avoided.

Blood Pressure: According to the American Heart Association, high blood pressure is the number one controllable risk factor for stroke. Family history and obesity factor in developing high blood pressure and women who take birth control pills or have reached menopause are at higher risk. A healthy lifestyle helps but for many, medications are required.

Cholesterol: High levels of “bad” low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol raise the risk of heart disease and stroke; high levels of “good” high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol lower it. Analyses show women’s cholesterol is higher than men’s from age 45 on and that low levels of HDL cholesterol look to be a stronger risk factor for women.

Diabetes: Diabetes is associated with high blood pressure and interferes with the ability to break down clots, increasing the risk of ischemic stroke. Lifestyle modifications and medications can help.

Diet and Exercise: Thirty minutes a day of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity can help prevent heart and blood vessel disease and control blood cholesterol, diabetes and obesity, as well as lower blood pressure. People with excess body fat-especially around the waist-are more potential to develop heart disease and stroke. Eat healthy foods low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium.

Smoking and Drinking: Smokers and those exposed to smoke daily are at a greater risk for stroke. Excessive alcohol intake can contribute to high blood pressure.

The best way to minimize the effects of a stroke is to know the warning signs so the stroke victim can get immediate treatment. Warning signs include sudden weakness or numbness, specifically on one side of the body; dizziness or loss of coordination; sudden headache or nausea; confusion or difficulty speaking; and vision loss.

Are you at risk for a stroke? Making healthy lifestyle changes, like lowering blood pressure and not smoking, can help reduce your risk of stroke. Other risk factors include:

* Age. Chances of having a stroke more than doubles each decade after age 55.

* Gender. More women die of strokes than men.

* Race and heredity. Chances of stroke are greater with a family history of stroke. African-Americans and Hispanics are at higher risk for stroke than Caucasians.

* Sickle cell anemia. Sickled red blood cells are less able to carry oxygen to the body’s tissues and organs. They also can stick to the walls of the blood vessels, which can block arteries to the brain, causing a stroke.

Upon experiencing stroke symptoms, individuals should immediately seek medical attention. Patients attended to within hours of a stroke have a much higher chance of effectively being diagnosed and treated.

Hospitals and trauma centers are equipped with sophisticated medical imaging equipment, like Toshiba’s Aquilion line of computed tomography scanners and the new Vantage magnetic resonance imaging system, which can help to quickly and accurately diagnose a stroke and assist in the proper treatment plan.

With this new equipment, physicians are able to locate and view the blockage in the arteries and then determine whether the treatment should be invasive or noninvasive. Typically, the location of the blockage dictates the course of treatment.